Why did Stalin begin the purges?

Answer 1

After the upheavals that accompanied collectivization of agriculture and the First Five Year Plan in the late 1920's and 30's, there was much opposition in the USSR to the rule of the Communist Party and to Stalin personally. Stalin saw threats everywhere.

It was Czech intelligence, who had an agent in Nazi Party Headquarters in Munich, who picked up the information that leaders of the Soviet Red Army and Navy were plotting with the German Abwehr (Army Intelligence) to overthrow Stalin. President Benes of Czechoslovakia divulged this plot to Stalin over the telephone personally. His nephew, Boz Benez, with whom I studied told me so personally. From Benes, Russia's ally at that time, the incriminating evidence began to flow into Stalin, as one would imagine in the paranoid environment that existed in the USSR at that time. Still even paranoids have enemies. Stalin said there was a plot and ordered his subordinates to look into it. It was the duty of Soviet intelligence subordinates to find the evidence and fill in the details. Otherwise they are not doing their duty!

It is said that this whole episode was a German Intelligence coup. They planted this information with the Czech agent and fostered it. But I wonder! With the mass of the people, and half the Party leadership hostile to Stalin by the mid 1930's, why wouldn't leaders of the armed forces faced with an approaching war be immune to such sentiments? It is essential to mention the Great Purges, because these purges-which led to the deaths of senior officials in every sector of the government-were fueled by Stalin's paranoia, and led him to seek unchallenged authority in every one of these government sectors. The Red Army had only been recently reestablished by Stalin, and he felt there were various leaders whom were not especially loyal to Stalin-because they didn't agree with the direction Stalin was taking the Soviets. Thus, he persecuted, deported, jailed, and killed many of the most educated and experienced military leaders. This led to military failure in the invasion of Finland, as well as when Operation Barbarossa was unleashed upon Russia's western border by the German in June 1941.

Answer 2

he didn't (previous answer)

LMFAO of course he began the purges, an answer that most people miss for his reasons however is that his people were beginning to lose faith in his ability to rule and his own board were questioning him TO HIS FACE so of course he had to do something didn't he? So what would he do? would he step down quietly? would he ask the people what THEY wanted for a change? NO he would massacre roughly 20 million of his OWN civilians, he killed people via public execution, gulag labour camps, and even just starving them. He thoroughly killed every man woman and child who ever questioned his rule. Now you're probably thinking well surely this made him even less popular? his people must question him more now than ever? well my answer to these questions are ..... take a look at Russia today! Do they look like a people who have been forever scolded by their leader? NO THEY DO NOT they are the owners of one of the worlds best nuclear and land armies you will find ANYWHERE today and they have turned themselves into an independent well advised democracy! whereas after their bad times Germany makes chocolates and cars (WOW)

So let me end this statement fashionably with a question for you guys reading this, WAS THE GREAT PURGE REALLY A BAD THING, or has it helped them in a way we will never fully understand?